


A Night On The Town

by scarletmanuka



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Fluff, M/M, Nightclub AU, Peter is a sweetie, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 13:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20154649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletmanuka/pseuds/scarletmanuka
Summary: Years after the events of Endgame, Tony has hit rock bottom. The Snap left him crippled, Pepper has abandoned him and has taken Morgan with her, and he's feeling old and lonely. Peter arranges a night out at the nightclub that he works at to try and cheer Tony up.For the Starker Bingo square: Nightclub AU





	A Night On The Town

“Come on, Tony,” Peter said, dragging him down the pavement towards the garishly lit nightclub, “it’ll be fun, I promise.”

Tony  _ harrumphed _ but allowed himself to be led, never finding a way to say no to the kid...no, not a  _ kid _ anymore, fuck he was almost ready to graduate from NYU, he was all grown up and stubborn as anything and even if Tony  _ wanted _ to say no, he didn’t think that Peter was going to take that for an answer. So he followed along, nodded to the bouncer, skipped paying the exorbitant entry fee since Peter was staff, and was soon being led by Peter through a smokey room, lit by strobing lights towards a booth in the back. 

Rhodey and Carol were already seated and Tony spied Carol’s girlfriend Maria over at the bar and he wondered if Peter had invited anyone else to Tony’s pity party. 

“Hey, Tones,” Rhodey greeted him, clasping his hand over the table as Peter ushered him along the bench so that he could squeeze in next to him. “How you doin’?”

Tony shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”

Rhodey frowned. “Don’t bullshit me, Tony.”

“What do you want me to say?” Tony snapped back, so not in the mood for his best friend’s crap right now. “She left me, crippled and alone, and she took my damn daughter. How do you  _ think _ I’m doing?”

Peter pushed a little closer to Tony and he felt the warmth press along his right arm - the arm that was left hanging useless and mangled after the fight with Thanos. So much had changed in the past six years but apparently Tony’s luck with relationships hadn’t. Pepper was gone, unable to put up with his PTSD and nightmares, and she’d taken Morgan with her. His lawyers were fighting hers over the (frankly insulting) custody agreement that she had presented and if Pepper thought that he was going to lay down without a fight then she had another thing coming. He was Morgan’s father for Christ’s sake and he was going to see her more than one measly weekend a month. 

“I’m just worried about you, Tony,” Rhodey said, calm and steadfast and Tony suddenly felt ashamed. He wasn’t the only Avenger to be left with permanent injuries after the war, and Rhodey had sustained his own injuries much earlier than the others. He’d not let it hold him back though and he’d fought right alongside them, had kicked just as much butt as anyone else and Tony shouldn’t be here feeling sorry for himself, but should be looking to Rhodey as an example of how to live his life.

He just felt so very old.

Maria returned to the table, preventing Tony from having to answer and Peter hugged her tightly and they exchanged a few enthusiastic words. Peter was so bubbly and vibrant that it didn't help Tony’s mood - how could he  _ not  _ feel ancient when compared to Peter Parker? He appreciated that he gave enough of a shit about Tony to coax him out for the evening to try and cheer him up, but some days he wondered just why Peter considered them to be friends. They were worlds apart - Peter had a bright future ahead of him, was smart, kind, good looking, and  _ Spider-Man _ for crying out loud, whereas Tony was past his prime, sad and bitter. If it wasn’t for the years of mentorship and working together to save the universe as the foundation of their friendship, he couldn’t imagine the kid giving him the time of day. He still felt a little like the kooky uncle that was invited out out of pity, but it was indicative of the sad state of his life that he wasn’t above accepting pity.

A classically handsome guy in his late twenties stopped by their table and he threw them a wide, easy grin. “Hey, Parker. I see you’ve finally decided to bring your superhero friends to visit us.”

Peter grinned back. “I told you that I would, Harry. Did you think I was lying?”

Harry - Peter’s boss - shook his head, his wide smile never leaving his face. “Nah, ‘course not, I just wasn’t sure if these guys would wanna come hang out here of all places.”

“What are you talkin’ about?” Maria exclaimed. “This place is rockin’!”

Rhodey raised a brow at that. “Rockin’? Really?”

“What? Isn’t that what all the cool kids are saying these days?”

Peter laughed. “They’re not, they’re really not.”

Maria shrugged. “Eh, whatever - I like the joint.”

Harry beamed at her. ”For that, your next drink is on me.” He winked at all of them. “In fact, all of your drinks are on the house tonight. You guys saved the freaking world and I’m not about to forget that. I know people do, over time, but you shouldn’t be taken for granted, and what you did should never be forgotten.”

Peter blushed, and Tony recalled that Harry was one of the few people who knew of Peter’s secret identity. It was a marvel, really, how he’d kept it hidden from the world at large for so long. There had been several near misses and some speculation that had hit a little close to home, but he’d managed to evade the truth getting out there. Tony had used his influence as well and he liked to think that it had helped in some small way.

“Thanks, Harry,” Peter said earnestly.

“Right, I’d best get back to work, don’t wanna set a bad example by slacking off.” Harry playfully pushed at Peter’s shoulder, which in turn pushed him that little closer to Tony. “Enjoy your night, guys.”

Even once Harry was gone, Peter didn't move away from where he’d been pushed against Tony, and for that he was grateful. Tony figured that he must be a little touch starved since things had gone downhill with Pepper (they hadn’t been intimate for months before it had officially ended) and so he leaned a little closer against Peter. He hoped that it wasn’t overly obvious, since with the nerve damage that he’d gotten from the Snap, he couldn’t always tell how heavily he was leaning against something. Peter was chatting happily with the others and didn’t seem to mind so Tony remained where he was.

A waiter appeared with a tray full of drinks and they all waved over at Harry to acknowledge his generosity, and Tony gratefully accepted the beer that Peter passed him. He didn’t drink much anymore but he figured that after the shitty time he’d had lately, he more than deserved one, especially since only a decade ago, he would easily have drowned his sorrows in expensive whiskey. A couple of beers wasn’t going to hurt anyone and he was here to have a good time, supposedly.

And he did, in fact, find himself having a good time. The group laughed and joked together, ribbed each other playfully, and by unspoken agreement, left the past in the past. Rhodey was still obviously worried about Tony, but he didn't raise it again, just regaled the group with stories of what the two of them had gotten up to together at MIT. Tony laughed more in two hours than he had in two years and he felt lighter, and happier. Perhaps the future wouldn’t be so bleak after all.

After a while, he felt Peter’s elbow nudge his ribs and he glanced over at him. “Wanna dance?” Peter asked, nodding over at the dance floor - a heaving, undulating mass of people.

Tony’s mood deflated. “No thanks, kid.” He gestured to his arm. “No one wants this mangled monstrosity out there, killing their buzz.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Tony, no one is even going to look at it. Come on, come dance with me.”

“Pete, I’m old and broken. Go and have fun with the fun people.”

Peter looked dejected for a split second and then he found a smile and he pushed away up the bench seat. “Okay, I’ll be back in a bit. I’ll have Harry send over another round of drinks.”

Tony watched him go, noticing how gracefully he moved through the crowd, the easy smiles he gave the patrons, the way people gravitated to him. Peter was in his element; he belonged here, with the bright lights and music, the rhythm thrumming through his body as he began to dance. He threw his head back, eyes closed, as he moved in time with the music, all sleek lines and dangerous grace - a far cry from the awkward teen he’d been when they had first met. As he raised his arms above his head, his shirt pulled up, teasing at a pale line of his stomach, and Tony was shocked to feel the heat of arousal flood his body. 

He’d never thought of Peter in quite that manner before, but as he watched him dance, his body (especially his dick) was certainly taking notice. Tony looked,  _ really _ looked and acknowledged that Peter really wasn’t a kid anymore, but a grown man who was comfortable in his own skin and was enjoying life. He was breathtaking and suddenly it wasn’t just Tony who noticed.

A tall, blonde guy with skin tight jeans and carefully coiffed hair was watching Peter hungrily as he gravitated towards him. He cut through the crowd like butter, his eyes never leaving Peter, and he moved with confidence. He didn’t even stop once he was close by to ask if Peter actually wanted to dance, he simply inserted himself into Peter’s personal space and moved with him.

Peter’s eyes opened and his forehead scrunched up in momentary confusion but it soon passed and he grinned at the guy and accommodated him into his space. They moved well together and Tony had to look away as Peter spun so his back was to the stranger and he ducked down into a crouch before rolling his body back up, the blonde man’s hands skimming over his ribs. 

He found that all three of his friends were watching him intently and Tony bristled under their gazes. “What?” he demanded.

“Are you daft?” Maria asked in amazement. “Go and  _ dance _ with him, Tony.”

“It’s you he wants out there,” Rhodey agreed.

“Yeah, right,” Tony argued. “Big, blonde, and beefy seems to be keeping Pete quite entertained.” It may have come out sounding as bitter as he suddenly felt.

“Urgh!” Carol groaned and she reached across the table, grabbed Tony by the shirt and easily shifted him out of the booth like he weighed nothing at all. “You may be slow on the uptake, Tony, but Peter has known what he wants for years now. He never made a move since he would never try and break up a relationship but now that you’re single... well, he’s single too.”

_ “What?”  _ Tony choked out, his grief foggy brain finally catching up with the situation. “Peter wants me?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, of course he does!” Maria exclaimed.

Carol gave Tony a not-so-gentle shove to the chest. “Go. And. Get. Your. Man.”

Tony swallowed hard and then nodded, turning back to the dance floor. Peter was still dancing with the stranger but the closer Tony looked, the more he could see how much distance Peter was putting between them. Each time the blonde tried to touch him, Peter would spin away or step back, not enough to offend but enough to send a clear message that this was just a bit of fun and nothing serious. It was obvious that Tony wouldn't be breaking up anything that Peter didn't want.

He moved through the crowd, feeling old but hopeful, but he kept his damaged arm tucked close to his side, not wanting to draw attention to it. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw his friends nod at him in encouragement, and he took a deep breath and moved through the final few people that stood between Peter and himself.

When Peter saw him, his eyes lit up and his smile was blinding. He bounded over, abandoning the bonde without hesitation, his hands reaching out to clasp around both of Tony’s forearms. No one ever touched his damaged arm; even Pepper had avoided it, didn't even  _ look _ at it, but Peter had never been like that, he’d never treated it any differently to any other part of Tony. 

“You’re here to dance?” Peter asked hopefully, leaning in close so he could be heard above the crowd.

Tony shivered at the feel of Peter’s hot breath on his neck and he nodded. “Yeah,” he replied.

Peter’s hand slipped down his forearm, trailing lightly over the scarred skin that peeked out at the wrist of Tony’s shirt and then his fingers slipped between the damaged ones. He held on tightly and then he tugged, turning around to lead Tony into the middle of the dance floor. The blonde had stopped and was staring at them and Tony saw the moment that he recognised who Peter was with. He tilted his head in deference and then turned to another group of people and began dancing with them, leaving Tony alone with Peter. 

Peter was grinning and despite the thumping of the bass, he spun until he was directly in front of Tony and he slipped his arms over his shoulders. Tony’s hands naturally fell on Peter’s hips and they stood there, just looking at one another. “Is this okay?” Peter asked, his words lost to the noise but Tony easily read the shape of the words on his lips.

Tony nodded, and he closed his eyes and tipped his head forward until it was leaning on Peter’s shoulder. “Yes, God yes,” he whispered, and by the shiver that he got in response, he knew that he’d been heard.

As they slow danced in the middle of the heaving mass of party goers, Tony felt the years drop away and suddenly he didn’t feel quite so old anymore. 


End file.
